Wrench



" June 10, 1 930. w, A, BERNARD 1,762,324

WRENCH Filed July 29, 1925' Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'W IIiLIAM A. BERNARD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLIAM SCHOLLEORN COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT WRENCH Application filed July 29,

This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to that class of wrenches known as pipe wrenches, which are particularly adapted to grip rounded or cylindrically formed articles to turn the same.

In pipe wrenches of the type under consideration it has been customary to provide a spring or springs arranged in cooperation with the other parts of the wrench struc- 0 ture in such a manner that the jaws of the wrench will be constantly urged open.

These springs for the most part have been of the flat leaf type, and users of these wrenches. have experienced considerable difliculty in the use thereof because of the spring or springs breaking. It being dithcult to replace these springs, considerable loss of time and other inconvenience resulted while the wrench was being repaired.

The arrangement of the adjusting nut in the generalform of pipe wrench was under some circumstances inconvenient, it being in such a position that the user, in most instances, was required to use both hands when adjusting the jaws of the wrench to suit the size of thearticle to be gripped.

Considerable difficulty was experienced in assembling or taking apart pipe wrenches of the general form, for making repairs or cleaning due to their structure.

The principal object of this invention is to generally improve wrenches of the above type, in order to provide a wrench which will be efiicient in use and comparatively in expensive to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench of such improved structure that the use of a spring or springs will not be required.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench structure in which the jaws will be adapted to be adjusted by the user by the hand inwhich it is being held.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a wrench of few parts and which will be readily assembled and disassembled.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a wrench of an improved form wherein a sheet metal yoke or collar of novel form is included in the structure thereof,

1925. Serial No. 46,912.

which is adapted to support and interconnect all of the component parts of the wrench in operative positions, and which will cooperate therewith in the eflicient use of the wrench by a user without the necessity of a spring or springs.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of a wrench embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the wrench of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, certain parts not being sectioned for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 4; is a section of a part of the wrench on line 4-4: of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; gig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, an Fig. 7 is a composite View of the parts composing the Wrench illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the method and ease of assembling the same. a

The wrench structure selected to illustrate the features of this invention, comprises the combined one-piece handle bar and jaw member 10, the handle portion or bar 11 being fluted to assist in gripping the same. The jaw portion 12 is formed upon the inner end of the handle bar 11, and upon its end surface 13 is provided with the common form of gripping teeth 14.

A collar or yoke 15 generally U-shaped in cross section, straddles the handle portion 11,. adjacent the jaw portion 12 and is pivotally secured thereto by the pivot pin 16, which is disposed adjacent the end of theyoke adjacent the jaw portion 12. The pivot pin 16 passes through both arms of the U-shaped yoke and through 'the handle bar 11 being riveted over upon the outer surface of the yoke. j

A jaw member 17 is provided to cooperate with the jaw 12 and has gripping teeth 18 on the surface 19, which opposes the surface 13. The jaw member 17 is provided with a shank portion 20, which slidably fits within the b se 21 of the U-shaped collar or yoke 1'0, the arms of the yoke 15 straddling the same in sliding contact therewith. In this manner, the shank 20 of the jaw 17 is uninterruptedly supported upon three sides thereof, within the entire length of the yoke. Threads 22 are provided upon the end of the shank 20, opposite the jaw 17.

A thumb nut 23, which is internally threaded and thereby adapted to engage the threads 22 of the shank 17, is provided. The nut 23 is preferably knurled as at 24, and is preferably cylindrical in form. The nut 23 is provided with a flange 25 at one end, which forms. an abrupt shoulder 26. The face 27 of the nut 23 is adapted to seat against the end surface 28 of the yoke 15, thus allowing the jaw 17 to be drawn toward the jaw 12 when the nut 23 is rotated upon the threads 22 of the shank 20. The abutting of the face 27 of the nut 23 and the end surface 28 of the yoke 15, also resists any opening movement between the jaws 12 and 17, when the wrench is in operation.

The yoke 15 preferably is made from a piece of sheet metal, the ends being bent over to form the arms 29 and 30 of the U-shape, which extend from the base portion 21. End portions 31 and 32 are provided upon one side of the piece of sheet metal adjacent the ends thereof, and are bent laterally inward and abut to form the closed end portion 33. Back of the end portion 33 the metal forming arms 29 and 30 is cut away slightly so that a lug 34 is formed on each. The upper edge of lug 34 is arcuate in form so as to fit the curvature'of the nut 23 in back of the shoulder 26. In this manner, an abutment is formed whereby the r0- tation of the nut 23 upon the shank 20 will move the jaw 17 outwardly away from the jaw 12, and the end surface 28 will resist accidental closing of the jaws. A rivet 35 is passed through the yoke, adjacent the closed end 33 to insure that the end will be retained closed. The closed end portion 33- is also made arcuate or otherwise in shape at its under surface 36 to fit the form of the upper surface of the handle bar 11 and at its upper surface to fit the form of the under surface of the shank 20.

The cooperation of the seating of the face 27 of the nut 23 against the end surface of the yoke 15 with the abutting of the shoulder 26 against the lugs 34 or the abutment formed by the end portion 33 of theyoke 15, insures that the shank portion 20 will be fixedly retained within the embrace of the yoke 15 against substantially any movement relatively thereto other than a longitudinal one. The jaw 17, shank 20, yoke 15, and nut 23 are, therefore, swingable in unison upon the'pivot 16,;being substantially fixedly secured together for this purpose by the action of nut 23 in cooperation with the surfaceand shoulder as above noted, whereby the shank is firmly retained in engagement against the entire inner surface of the base portion 21 of the yoke 15. This fixed or substantially rigid connection between these parts tends to prevent the tool from slipping upon the work being gripped by the jaws, an action which is a disadvantage and is generally present in tools not having this structure.

I The pivot pin 16 is preferably located substantially in alignment with the upper sur face of the handle bar 11 and with the last or innermost tooth of the jaw 12. This arrangement insures that the jaws 12 and 17 will open when the handle bar is moved about the pivot 16 toward the closed end portion 33 of the yoke 15. Upon abutting against the collar or the yoke 15, the surface 36 insures that the continued movement of the handle bar 11 in the same direction will cause the remaining component parts of the wrench to be carried by the handle about a piece of work, thereby facilitating the obtaining of another bite upon the work.

The movement of the handle bar 11 in the opposite direction or away from the closed end portion '33, swings the jaw 12 about the pivot 16 and toward the jaw 17 to firmly grasp the work-therebetween, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. An enlargement 37 upon the edge of the jaw end of the member 10, swings with the jaw 12 and is adapted to engage the under surface of the shank 20 to prevent the work between the jaws from being collapsed.

The arrangement of the various component parts of the above described wrench allows ready manipulation thereof,the jaws being adjustable by means of the nut 23 by the same hand that grasps the handle bar 11'. In a wrench of the structure described no springs are required and the user is, therefore, not inconvenienced due to the breakage of the same. The wrench described is readily assembled and disassembled as will be seen in noting Fig. 7. The yoke 15 being secured to the member 10 is not removable, but the remaining parts'ai' e readily removed by unscrewing the nut 23 from the shank 20, whereby the jaw .17 is easily removed longi tudinally from the yoke, and the nut 23 lifted out from the engagement ofthe flange 25 between the lug 34 and the yoke end 28. A reverse procedure is all that is required to again assemble the parts together.

lvhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is not to be limited thereto in all of its details, but is capable of modification and variation which will lie within the spirit of the invent tion'and the scope of the appended claims,

What I claim is:

1. In a pipe wrencha stationary jaw having a handle bar extending therefrom, a movable jaw having a threaded shank extending therefrom, a sheet metal yoke generally U-shaped in cross-section straddling said shank and said bar, said yoke being pivotally secured to said bar, portions of the arms of said U-shaped yoke being extended at a portion of one end thereof and bent toward each other into abutment, said abutting portions forming an upwardly directed abutment, said abutment being spaced from the end of said yoke, and a nut adapted to screw upon the threads of said shank having a flange about its periphery, said flange being disposed between said abutment and the end face of said yoke as and for the purpose described.

2. In a pipe wrench, a pair of jaws movable relatively to each other, one of said jaws being secured to a handle bar, said bar being reduced in width at the rear of said jaw, the other of said jaws having a threaded shank extending therefrom, said shank being reduced in width at the rear of said jaw, a U-shaped yoke member embracing said shank and straddling said bar at the reduced portions of both, said yoke member being pivotally secured to said bar and being of a width not exceeding the width of said jaws, and means engaging the threads of said shank and engaging an end portion of said yoke member to move one of said jaws relatively to the other.

3. In a pipe wrench, a pair of jaws movable relatively to each other, one of said jaws being secured to a handle bar, the other of said jaws having a threaded shank extending therefrom, a U-shaped yoke member embracing said shank and straddling said bar, said yoke member being pivotally secured to the latter, portions of each of the arms of said yoke member being extended and bent toward each other into abutment between said bar and said shank, said portions cooperating and extending upwardly over the face of said yoke member to form an abutment, and a nut adapted to engage the threads of said shank, said nut being provided with means to engage the face of said yoke and said abutment to move one of said jaws relatively to the other when rotated upon said shank.

at. A wrench comprising a pair of jaws having extensions directed in the same direction and being slidable relatively to each other, a sheet metal U-shaped yoke embracing one of said jaw extensions and straddling the other, a pivot pin pivotally securing said yoke to the extensions straddled thereby, the straddling portions of said yoke being bent inwardly into abutting relation at one end of said yoke, and being disposed between said extensions to form a limiting stop for the relative pivotal movement therebetween, said bent in portions having upwardly directed portions forming lugs, and means cooperating with the embraced extension to slide it relatively to the other, said means being in engagement with said lugs to retain it against longitudinal movementrelatively to said yoke.

55. In a wrench, a pair of jaws having extensions directed in the same direction and being slidable relatively to each other, a sheet metal Ushaped yoke embracing one of said jaw extensions and straddling the other, a pivot pin pivotally securing said'yoke to the extension straddled thereby, the straddling portions of said yoke being bent inwardly into abutting relation at one end of said yoke, said bent in portions having upwardly directed portions forming lugs, and means cooperating with the embraced extension and said lugs and being adapted to move said embraced extension relatively to the other extension.

6. A wrench having a pair of relatively movable jaws, a handle bar secured to one of said jaws, a threaded shank secured to the other of said jaws, said shank extending in the same direction as said handle bar, a sheet metal yoke connecting said bar and said shank, said yoke comprising a U-shaped body portion adapted to straddle said handle bar and said shank and being pivotally secured to one of said parts and embracing the other, said yoke having a partially closed end part, said yoke end part presenting an end face at the open portion thereof and an abutment at the closed portion thereof, and an adjusting nut having a part adapted to rotate between said end face and said abutment while said nut engages the threads upon said shank, said closed portion of said yoke end part forming a stop surface to limit the pivotal movement of said yoke upon the part to which it is secured.

7. In a wrench, a sheet metal yoke member comprising a body portion generally U-shaped in cross-section, said body portion being open at one end to receive a pair of aw extensions in the form of a handle bar and a threaded shank, respectively, and be ing partially open at the other end to allow one of the jaw extensions to pass therethrough, the closed portion of said last mentioned end being formed to present an abutment extending upwardly over the open portion of the last mentioned yoke end, and substantially parallel with the end surface thereof.

8. In a wrench, a sheet metal yoke member comprising a body portion generally U-shaped in cross-section, said body portion being open at one end to receive a handle bar and a threaded shank, respectively, a portion of each of the arms of the U section at the other end being extended and bent toward each other into abutment to close a portion of this end, said abutting arm extensions having a lug member formed thereon and extending over the end surface oi? the 5 last mentioned yoke end.

9. In a wrench, a sheet metal yoke member comprising a body portion generally U-shaped in cross-section, said body portion being open at one end to receive a handle bar and a threaded shank, respectively, a portion of each of the arms of the U section at the other end being extended and bent toward each other into abutment to close a portion of this end, said abutting arm extensions having a lug'member formed thereon and extending over the end surface of the last mentioned yoke end and presenting a stop surface positioned between said handle bar and said shank.

10. In a hand tool, a handle member having a jaw formed on one end thereof, another jaw formed upon the end of a threaded shank member, an inverted U-shaped yoke member slidably embracing said shank memher and straddling said handle member, said yoke member being pivotally secured to said handle member, an extension upon one of said yoke member side portions at one end thereof, a rotatable nut upon said threaded shank member, said nut cooperating with said yoke member and the extension thereon to fixedly position said shank member within said yoke member to insure a swinging movement of said yoke and shank members in unison relatively to said handle member to grip an article between said jaws, and means adjacent said nut and disposed between said shank member and said handle member to limit the swinging movement of said parts in one direction.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of July, 1925.

WILLIAM A. BERNARD. 

